MARCH 2-3, 2019 JELLY EAR FUNGUS

It is beyond my wildest dreams that this month marks the 9 year that I have written this blog. This blog has been inspiring to me and hopefully to the reader. It has changed through the years as does life. It has prompted me to read more on a variety of subjects. I want to thank all of you for reading my blog and sharing it

Jelly Ear Fingus ( also known as Aurcularia auricula-judae) is found world wide and can be enjoyed as a food or a medicine. In teaching Oncology at the College of Naturopathic Medicine I have studied more mushrooms over the years. This mushroom mainly grows on an elder tree.

It has been found to boost your immune system and possesses antiviral, antibacterial and anti-parasitic effects. In animal studies this mushroom has lowered blood level of cholesterol. Actually there is another mushroom that produces a type of statin drug , lovastatin that lowers cholesterol . The Jelly Ear also reduces blood sugar and can help and support a patient with diabetes. It has also been shown toi reduce blood clotting

Until tomorrow…

MARCH 1, 2019 PREGNANCY

Any pregnant women should look after herself when pregnancy by eating properly, getting enough sleep and avoiding physical and mental stress. Easier said than done.

I have found that Chinese Medicine sees a direct link between the emotional state of the mother and the child. I have seen a Chinese practitioner call a pregnant women’s pulse as Slippery - which is normal and reflects additional fluids in the body. The tongue also is checked and varies from woman to woman depend on constitutions of the patient.

Nausea is a common ailment in pregnancy. Ginger tea can help fight nausea. Here is the way to do it

1. peel a small chunk of fresh ginger root into 3-6 slices

2. . put the sliced ginger into a sauce pain with some water, simmer for 3-5 minutes

3. Strain the liquid into a pitcher.

4. Drink the liquid as a tea several times throughout the day

   Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 28, 2019 LYME DISEASE

Lyme disease affects a minimum of 350,000 per year in the United States. I believe we are epidemic numbers with little being said by the government or the Center for Disease Control. There are millions of cases worldwide.

The symptoms vary from person to person. It can be mild fatigue, to lack of concentration ( also called Brain Fog) to severe arthritis. Recently Sacred Science had a series called Remedies for which I discussed Lyme. The author, Stephen Buhner of Healing Lyme also discussed Lyme and its co infections. I encourage anyone who has Lyme or knows someone who does to read his book.

The spirochetes that cause Lyme are called stealth pathogens which means they hide within the tissue. Although some infectious disease conventional physicians do not believe in Chronic Lyme—I believe there is Chronic Lyme. Up to 25 % of patients do not respond to conventional antibiotics and relapse. Although testing has improved , they are still not completely reliable. Tests allowed for Lyme vary from state to state.

You must seek an Integrative MD/ ND to treat your Lyme. The co-infections that can accompany Lyme are often more incapacitating than Lyme- these can be EBV, Mycoplasma, Babesia, Bartonella and much more

Our office uses an individualized approach using both traditional Chinese and Western herbs, supplements, metal detoxification, IV support, and apitherapy products as been venom

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 27, 2019 POTENTIAL FOR TOXICITIES

I have seen a single peanut or a bite into a shrimp put a susceptible person into anaphylactic shock, while some of us may have these foods. This also can happen from a conventional drug, supplement, herb or Chinese herb.

I am not versed in Traditional Chinese Medicinals. When properly prescribed according to professional standards I have seen great benefits with elimination of disease.

Since I am not familiar with all of the Chinese supplements I had to get more educated and versed in the subject. I recently purchased a book by Fred Jannes with Bob Flaws titled Herb Toxicities and Drug Interactions

This has helped me in many situations to decipher toxicities in patients taking Chinese preparations

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 26, 2019 MORE ON BEE VEONOM

There are many physicians who use bee venom therapies in their practice. This is done by obtaining venom in an injectable, sterile form and injecting under the skin.

I have seen excellent results when used for arthritis, scar tissue, and acute and chronic injuries. I have seen fantastic results when used for Multiple Sclerosis. It has also been used recently for Chronic Lyme. There are published studies on its use for MS. Many patients seek out bee venom therapists. I have seen increased stability, less fatigue and less spasm in the MS patient who uses bee venom. The treatment protocol is for months and can be intense. Some patients have done stings with live bees two to three times per week. This is individualized

Support your local beekeeper and the American Apitherapy Society for which I am Vice president. See www.apitherapy.org

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 25, 2019 WITCH HAZEL

It only takes a moment to get a Hamamelis virginia compress. What is that? This is a Witch Hazel compress. I feel witch hazel is under utilized today. It is known for the fragrant yellow flowers grown in the United States. Properties of this herb include: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and astringent. I know my dad used it for sprains and soreness after driving his 18 wheeler to Albany for deliveries for Rabinowe and Company. Use it externally for cuts and bruises and as a compress for sprains, phlebitis, sunburn and hot swollen joints.

For a real preparation in the wilderness: put 25 grams of the bark in 1 pint of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Dip a cloth in the cool decoction, wring and apply to area. It is a great soothing agent. Collection and use of the bark on this manner is called wild crafting.

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 23-24, 2019 BEE VENON THERAPY

Have you heard about bee venom therapy ? Apitherapy , the medicinal use of honey bee products, has been practiced since ancient times. In modern times, bee venom was to be of great use especially in arthritis and other inflammatory and degenerative diseases.

There are more than 1300 articles on Bee Venom Therapy. Last year, I published an article on Medicinal Use of Honeybee Products in the Journal of Complimentary Medicine. The French and Russian equivalents of the NIH has looked at the benefits of bee venom. Even the US Army has looked at bee venom.

There are 18 different products of bee venom. The most prevalent is Mellitin is one of the most potent anti inflammatory agents ( 100 x more potent than steroids) There are other components in bee venom as adolapin, which inhibits cyclooxygenase. The component Apamin inhibits complement C3 and blocks calcium and potassium channels in the cell membrane thus enhancing nerve transmission. There are multiple other components

I am a beekeeper and an apitherapist using bee venom for a number of clinical conditions

Support your local beekeeper and the American Apitherapy Society - www.apitherapy.org

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 22, 2019 ALCOHOL

Moderate alcohol consumption which is defined as 8 to 21 drinks per week has been found to be a predictor of heart atrial remodeling by reducing both atrial voltage and conduction. What does this mean ?

This alcohol drinking was associated with electrical and structural changes in the heart myocardium in patients who had electrophysiological studies prior to ablation.

All in all, it means that alcohol has a direct effect on the atrial substrate. It means that alcohol is implicated in atrial fibrillation pathogenesis. This makes it a risk factor. We always knew that alcohol was implicated in cardiomyopathy and also in holiday heart syndrome where atrial fibrillation occurs at the holiday times due to excessive sugar and alcohol.

This is more evidence that alcohol damages the heart muscle

Until tomorrow…